Raise Georgia's minimum wage for tipped workers.

I am currently a waitress for a corporate company and I love my job. I thoroughly enjoy meeting new people every day and having the opportunity to make their day a little better. Everyone loves food and normally comes into a restaurant to celebrate, socialize or to just enjoy good food. I want to be able to give them the best experience possible. Not all people are meant to be servers and not all people have the ability to cope with the stress we have to go through.

Minimum wage for servers has not changed since 1991 when it was bumped up to a whopping $2.13/hr. That is twenty-one years of a measly wage for the people that work extremely hard to provide for you, your family, friends, co-workers and future business partners. Granted, back in 1991 the cost of living was much less expensive, we can all agree that prices, taxes and the standard cost of living has exponentially grown since that time. Yet, the wage remains the same in the expectation that we can still afford to live off of the same pay rate as those twenty years ago? No other occupation (that I'm aware of) has neglected to adjust pay rate accordingly.

My paycheck statement's literally say $0.00 for every entry. I do not get paid from the corporation I work for. The only income I receive is from the tips I get from our guests. That means that my income never guaranteed, nor can I be sure that all my expenses will be covered for that month. In other states servers are allowed a higher pay rate, reaching up to $9.00/hr. So, I’m not sure all guests are aware that Georgia servers work for free unless the GUESTS pay us.

It would seem that this work industry would want to take good care of their servers. They are very intent on health codes and customer satisfaction that it seems servers get the short end of the deal because we are not focused on. The restaurant business would flourish at an amazing rate if all servers felt like the business cared about them enough to do something to change the injustices that have gone on for way too long. Servers could take more pride in the company they work for if they felt valued by them. It’s like two different worlds going from back of house (kitchen, alley, computer stations) to front of house (where the guests and tables are). Servers turn on the charm and put on a smile while taking care of those that feed their income. We hustle and bustle out there ensuring your visit exceeds expectations. When it comes to side work (all the cleaning, stocking, polishing, silverware rolling) servers attitudes take a hard hit because all that we do for the restaurant is practically unpaid work. How would anyone else like to do the ‘dirty work’ for their business for free?

Please help Georgia servers catch up to the modern world of pay rate! I’m not sure how this has been acceptable for so long, but I believe we are more than ready to make a CHANGE. There is so much to say about the workers that continue to stay in this industry that is demanding physically and emotionally. We not only need an increase in pay, but I humbly vouch that we deserve it. Thank you so much for taking time to read the truths about serving life. I hope you agree with my concerns and take a moment to sign this petition and tell us why it’s important to you.